Windows Site Data Directory

[emcd]

Hi,

I just recently discovered your nice appdirs module. Several years ago, I wrote a module with similar functionality, utilia.filesystem.stdpath:

• https://utilia.readthedocs.org/en/latest/modules/filesystem/stdpath.html
• https://github.com/utilia/utilia/blob/master/src/lib/utilia/filesystem/stdpath/__init__.py

Although, I think we have much overlap, I took a divergent approach to the Windows site data directory and want to share some of my research and code with you, in case you're interested. I noticed in the appdirs code comments, there is some dissatisfaction with the results of using CSIDL_COMMON_APPDATA to get the site data directory on Vista and newer. In my approach, I regarded the path indicated by %ProgramFiles% to be the true equivalent of /usr/local/share and /Library/Application Support. Also, as part of my initial research, I found some newer documentation on Windows standard paths, which indicated that KNOWNFOLDERID is the standard in use, instead of CSIDL, on Vista and beyond:

• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/bb776911%28v=vs.85%29.aspx
• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/dd378457(v=vs.85).aspx

The second KNOWNFOLDERID URL above contains a trove of information on folder GUIDs as well as environment variables and paths relative to those variables. (If you go the "Remarks" section near the bottom of the page, you will see a thorough discussion about %ProgramFiles% on 32-bit and 64-bit systems.) My implementation, based on that discussion is here:

• https://github.com/utilia/utilia/blob/master/src/lib/utilia/filesystem/stdpath/__init__.py#L387

I would be happy to discuss this more, if you're interested.

P.S. My research links: https://utilia.readthedocs.org/en/latest/modules/filesystem/stdpath.html#references

[2xB]

On the same note: The Vista path of CSIDL_COMMON_APPDATA actually is a path that is supposed to be used by applications, as is explained here: https://stackoverflow.com/a/6253923

Therefore naming it "fail" might not hit the point. Nevertheless, emcd mentioned %ProgramFiles%, which of course can also be considered a storage location for application data.